The Plan Change addresses both water quality and water quantity issues in the catchment. Environment Canterbury Councillor Peter Skelton said the main focus is on improving the health of Te Roto o Wairewa / Lake Forsyth by reducing the amount of phosphorus-rich sediment entering the lake.

“Phosphorus is a significant factor in the frequent cyanobacteria blooms that limit use of the lake for recreation and customary food gathering, and can pose a health risk.”

The Plan Change is part of a wider action plan to achieve improvements in the lake and rivers.

“There are environmental flow and allocation limits for the Ōkana, Ōkuti and Takiritawai rivers and their tributaries,” Professor Skelton said. “Works in or near these rivers and their tributaries in the valley floor to reduce bank erosion are supported, provided they comply with the requirements of a river bank erosion plan and do not reduce carrying capacity.

“There are also rules to allow for the construction of a sediment basin/wetland at the head of the lake, in-lake investigations, opening and closing the lake, water quality limits and targets for the lake and rivers, and requiring all stock to be kept out of waterways on the valley floor.”

Rules prohibiting stock from using and disturbing the beds, banks and riparian margins of rivers and the lake are designed to limit new phosphorus sediment being released to the lake.

“The stock exclusion rules apply from 1 January 2020,” Professor Skelton said. “They permit access to the riparian margin in some circumstances – where there is existing fencing, and to allow access for sheep when a consent is granted. There is no dairy farming in the catchment.”

The Plan Change recognises the cultural significance of Te Roto o Wairewa / Lake Forsyth to Ngāi Tahu and support its restoration.

Environment Canterbury accepted the recommendations of Independent Hearing Commissioners on proposed Plan Change 6 in August this year. No appeals were received. For more information, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp-pc6.

Background – Plan Change 6

Te Roto o Wairewa/ Lake Forsyth is a nationally and regionally significant wetland area. It provides lake-margin and swamp habitats for waterfowl (including the crested grebe) and a variety of salt and freshwater marsh plants and invertebrate species.

The lake and its tributaries provide habitats for a variety of fish species including eel/tuna, whitebait/inanga, flounder/pātiki, banded kōkopu, and common and upland bullies. The Ōkuti River is a spawning site for the lamprey/ kanakana. Perch and brown trout can also be found in the lake.

Te Roto o Wairewa/Lake Forsyth is a tribal taonga (treasure) for Kāti Irakehu and Kāti Makō. It is a source of mahinga kai (traditional food gathering) and famous for its eel / tuna which provide sustenance for mana whenua.

The 5.6 square kilometre shallow coastal lake is less than 20 metres above sea level and drains to the sea through a gravel barrier.

The growth of Kaitorete Spit has enclosed the lake, which was previously a shallow estuary. Deforestation of the catchment has accelerated the natural process of erosion, and subsequent loss of naturally rich phosphorus soils into the lake. Degraded water quality leads to summer blooms and cloudy water. The catchment is also prone to flooding.

The Banks Peninsula Zone Committee recognises the work of the Wairewa Rūnanga in seeking solutions to poor water quality in the lake, and reversing the decline of eel/tuna. It identified Te Roto o Wairewa / Lake Forsyth as one of its flagship biodiversity projects.

A community-driven plan for the catchment was started in 2012 and led to the development of the Zone Committee’s Zone Implementation Programme. The aim of the programme is to improve the lake’s water quality and mahinga kai and contact recreation values, and to manage water quantity in the catchment’s rivers.

Plan Change 6 represents the regulatory part of the Zone Committee’s programme.

Background – Land & Water Regional Plan

Plan Change 6 mainly focuses on reducing sediment and phosphorus losses in the flatter valley floor where most of the current sediment load to the lake comes from. The region-wide rules in the Canterbury Land & Water Regional Plan continue to cover most activities in the catchment. In particular, the region-wide nutrient management rules apply in the Wairewa / Lake Forsyth catchment.

The Land & Water Regional Plan will become fully operative on 1 February 2017. It sets the framework to implement community aspirations for water through the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, a community led, collaborative approach to improve water outcomes throughout the region.

The Land & Water Regional Plan operates at two levels – a region-wide section and 10 sub- regional sections. The policies and rules in the sub-regional sections can apply instead of, or in addition to, policies and rules in the region-wide section. The sub-regional sections implement the region-wide objectives in the plan in the most appropriate way for the catchment.

]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 11:42:00 +1200Land & Water Regional Plan to be fully operativehttp://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/LWRP-to-become-fully-operative.aspx/news-and-notices/newsLWRP-to-become-fully-operative.aspxEnvironment Canterbury announced today that the Land & Water Regional Plan would be made fully operative on 1 February 2017. The plan contains rules to improve the quality of water throughout Canterbury.

Controls on the leaching of nitrates are set by the plan, which covers a wide range of land-use activities with an impact on the quality of water in both urban and rural areas.

Environment Canterbury Councillor Peter Skelton said the effect of making all the plan’s rules operative was that the Natural Resources Regional Plan would be revoked from February 2017.

“Most of the Land & Water Regional Plan was made operative in 2015,” Professor Skelton said. “The parts that were not made operative at that time were those that were subject to unresolved appeals.”

All appeals have now been resolved, meaning parts of the plan relating to take and use of surface water, and dams and damming, can now be made fully effective.

Professor Skelton said a notable milestone for the future of Canterbury’s water management had been achieved. “All the region-wide rules implementing community aspirations for water are in place. Further, we are well advanced with a number of sub-regional plans that will help deliver water quality outcomes for local catchments.”

Plan Change 1 covering the Selwyn Te Waihora zone was made operative in February this year. Appeals on Plan Change 2 (covering the Hinds Plains area) were received earlier this year and Council recently accepted the recommendations of independent hearing commissioners on Plan Change 3 (South Coastal Canterbury). The “Omnibus” Plan Change (Plan Change 4) covers a variety of amendments to the Plan and is currently in the appeals phase. Plan Change 5 (Nutrient Management plus Waitaki) is in the hearing process, and Plan Change 6 (Wairewa / Lake Forsyth) will be made operative on 1 February 2017. Community collaboration on sub-regional plans for other catchments continues.

The Land & Water Regional Plan sets the framework to implement community aspirations for water through the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, a community led, collaborative approach to improve water outcomes throughout the region.

As well as addressing water quality and quantity issues, the Land & Water Regional Plan enables earthquake recovery and considers other important issues for Canterbury’s future such as land stability, flood protection and biodiversity.

The rules also cover water quality in urban areas. There are new rules to protect the rivers and streams in these areas from pollution from stormwater and wastewater discharges.

Council accepted the Hearing Commissioners’ recommendations on the proposed plan in late 2013. Decisions on the plan were notified in January 2014. The plan was made partly operative in September 2015.

Professor Skelton said the package of rules positioned Canterbury well to address legacy water issues and meet future challenges. “I would like to pay tribute to the wide range of people throughout the region who have contributed to date,” he said.

“However, there is still much to be done. We have the framework. Now we need to implement it so it has the impact we are all looking for – improved water quality in Canterbury.”

]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:52:00 +1200Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquakes Assistancehttp://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/Hurunui-Kaikoura-Earthquakes-Emergency-Relief-Bill.aspx/news-and-notices/newsHurunui-Kaikoura-Earthquakes-Emergency-Relief-Bill.aspxIf you’ve got any questions about what you can and can’t do then please call us on 0800 324 636 or e-mail ecinfo@ecan.govt.nz

The Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquakes Emergency Relief Act 2016

The earthquakes have caused significant disruption to rural and farming activities. To keep their farms running, some farmers have, or need to, replace and/or repair facilities on their land, such as septic tanks and stockwater supplies. This new legislation means a farmer within the districts of Hurunui, Kaikoura and Marlborough can undertake emergency preventative or remedial actions without a consent provided they are:

related to effects of the earthquakes, and are to address risk of; loss of life or injury to humans, loss of life or serious detriment to health or wellbeing of animals; and/or serious damage to land or property; and

proportionate to the risks they address; and

do not have significant adverse effects beyond the property’s border.

If work is done under this new legislation, then written notice must be given to Environment Canterbury within 40 working days of the activity being done. This notice should include a brief description of the activity, location and when the work was done or is due to be done.

If you’ve got any questions about what you can and can’t do then please call us on 0800 324 636.

Gravel extraction:

There is plenty of gravel in Canterbury to help farm owners with repairs, including for roading and rebuilding farm tracks. However, we need to manage the region’s resources so it is important that you contact us to get a ‘gravel authorisation’. Once you apply for this, we should be able to process it within 24 hours and work with you to decide where you can get gravel from.

Landslip dams:

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on November 14 and subsequent aftershocks have triggered numerous landslides throughout North Canterbury. Some of these landslides have dammed rivers and streams, and downstream areas are potentially at risk of dam break flooding and debris flows.

Harbours:

The earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks have caused significant uplift of the seabed in some coastal areas in Kaikoura. We’re working with the Kaikoura District Council to understand what works need to be done.

NZTA’s latest update:

NZTA contractors and local work crews are working hard to re-establish access to Kaikoura from the south via State Highway 1. The aim is to restore single-lane controlled access for residents and essential services by mid-December.Meanwhile, they’re working to increase public access in and out of Kaikoura via the inland road (route 70) as an urgent priority. Go to www.nzta.govt.nz for more information or phone 0800 44 44 49 to register for a public convoy.

Rural assistance contacts:

Contact Federated Farmers on 0800 FARMING to lodge requests for, or offers of, help on the farm.

Contact your local Rural Support Trust on 0800 RURAL HELP for a private and confidential chat

The Government’s general 0800 helpline is open from 7am - 9pm, seven days a week, to help you identify other help you may be able to access. 0800 779 997

Talk to your accountant, bank, and Work and Income to see what other assistance you may be eligible for.

Support Package for earthquake-affected primary sector

The Government announced $4 million towards a primary industries earthquake relief fund to help towards repair costs for some uninsurable infrastructure repairs across the Hurunui, Kaikoura and Marlborough districts. The application form is available here.

“The seeding season is now upon us,” Mr Smith said. “We need to stop the spread to protect our agricultural industry and environment. Managing on-farm biosecurity is critical for prevention. You can help by checking for Chilean needle grass this summer. Identifying an infestation early will make containing and controlling the pest less expensive and more manageable.”

About 350 hectares of Canterbury land is infested. Known sites were confined to North Canterbury until last year, when an infestation was identified in West Melton.

Half of the region is susceptible. Fifteen million hectares of land across New Zealand are suitable habitat for growth.

Chilean needle grass is easiest to identify in spring and early summer, when distinctive purple seed heads become visible. The seeds are dart like, with a sharp seed head and a long, kinked tail.

It is most likely to be found where there is less competition from desirable pasture species, such as dry hard hill country, areas with light soil, heavily grazed pasture and bare ground.

Chilean needle grass can be spread by movement on contaminated machinery, vehicles, feed and stock. To prevent spread, only allow clean vehicles and machinery on to your property, and make sure any stock or feed brought on to your farm haven’t come from an infested property.

Dry conditions, particularly the lack of rainfall in the past three winters, is the main reason for the low flows we are seeing. Extraction for irrigation also contributes. Parts of Selwyn River are on irrigation restriction, however – and this is often the case. See: Selwyn River

This stretch of the river is typically dry during low-flow periods. It only flows through this reach when groundwater levels in the area are high and there is ample flow coming down from the headwaters.

We are in an extended period of drought which has resulted in very low groundwater levels compared with periods of normal rainfall. Although there has been rain in the last few months, it has not been enough to fully recharge aquifers. As a result, when flows from the headwaters increase after rainfall, the water sinks into the gravels rather than flowing at the surface.

Our data below show that the flows at Coes Ford are low and have been in steady decline over the past 6 weeks. The flows in the Selwyn River coming out on to the plains at Whitecliffs are higher.

There have been fish and eel deaths at the river due to the dryness. Tuna have a peak migratory season but will move at any time of year if the opportunity presents itself. Drying reaches are likely to have a major impact on tuna, particularly the longfin which penetrates many kilometres inland. If tuna cannot return to sea, they cannot breed. Drying reaches which occur in spring and autumn coincide with tuna migration and the movements of many other fish. Low flows will have an impact on fish populations and increase the likelihood of getting caught in a drying reach.

We support the recent efforts to save tuna, as do Ngāi Tahu. Our advice is to keep the tuna in as large a container of cool water as possible. Return them to a stream as soon as you can. Prevent them from overheating. Return them to streams with permanent flow close to the coast. Larger rivers are better as they tend to more reliable, open to the sea and allow tuna to migrate. For example, the Selwyn River below Coes Ford would be a good place to liberate rescued tuna. Do not put them into the sea or brackish water if they have come from fresh water.

The streams feeding Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere all depend on groundwater levels for their flows. When groundwater levels are low, flows in these streams are low. Flows are currently stronger elsewhere where the streams are fed directly by rain in the hills and mountains. This issue is most serious in small hill-fed rivers that need to cover extensive areas of plains with depleted groundwater levels. So we would expect the Selwyn River to be one of the worst, with others like the Hinds River similarly affected. Last year we had a similar issue in the Waipara River, where a fresh in the upper river did not make it to the river mouth and migratory eels perished.

]]>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 01:27:00 +1200Health Warning – Pareora River at SH1http://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/Health-Warning–Pareora-051216.aspx/news-and-notices/newsHealth-Warning–Pareora-051216.aspxMonitoring has identified relatively high cover of potentially toxic cyanobacteria algae in the Pareora River near SH1. Community and Public Health have therefore issued a health warning and signage will be erected at those sites, until monitoring indicates that the river is safe, when the signs will be removed.

Humans and animals, particularly dogs, should avoid these areas until the health warning has been lifted.

“If you experience any of these symptoms, visit your doctor immediately, also let your doctor know if you’ve had contact with dark brown/black algal mats or water in this area.”

“No one should drink the water from the river at any time”, as boiling the water from the river does not remove the toxin.

Animals should be taken to a vet immediately if they come into contact with the contaminated rivers.

Environment Canterbury is monitoring the sites and the public will be advised of any changes.

Facts about cyanobacteria:

Appears as dark brown/black mats attached to rocks along the riverbed.

The algae occur naturally but can increase rapidly during warmer months.

It often has a strong musty smell and algal toxin concentrations can vary over short periods with changing environmental conditions.

Although high river levels will remove the algal bloom, detached mats can accumulate along the shore and increase the risk of exposure to toxins.

If a health warning is in place avoid contact with the water.

Although district or city councils may place warning signs, these may not be seen at the numerous river access points, hence the need for people/ dog-walkers to treat every low-flowing river cautiously.

Contact Community and Public Health on (03) 687 2600.

]]>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:47:00 +1200Emergency legislation welcomedhttp://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/Emergency-legislation.aspx/news-and-notices/newsEmergency-legislation.aspxEnvironment Canterbury Chairman David Bedford has welcomed the emergency legislation proposed by the Government in response to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on November 14.

“This has been a challenging event for the Kaikōura and Hurunui communities and we are pleased the Government has acknowledged this and acted quickly and decisively,” Mr Bedford said. “There are several different aspects to the proposed legislation that will enable a pragmatic approach to rebuilding the communities as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”

Three new Bills have been developed:

The Civil Defence Emergency Management Amendment Act 2016 Amendment Bill (CDEMAA Amendment Bill) would bring forward the commencement date of most provisions of the recently enacted CDEMAA, and adds provisions around requests for property assessments to the roles of Civil Defence Controllers and Recovery Managers.

“Many of the provisions have been introduced as a result of learnings from the Christchurch earthquakes and it is excellent to see these taking effect now to enable us to assist Kaikōura and Hurunui,” Mr Bedford said.

The Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquakes Recovery (Emergency Relief) Bill 2016 will do three things: it will temporarily increase timeframes with regard to retrospective consents for emergency works under the Resource Management Act; it proposes that emergency works to farm properties become permitted activities until the end of March next year; and it proposes legislative changes that will allow for the restoration of Kaikōura’s harbours.

“Environment Canterbury manages the consents processes for on-farm activities and we will be working closely with farmers to help them get necessary emergency works done while continuing to operate sustainable businesses through this time,” David Bedford said.

“Environment Canterbury also runs the Harbourmaster’s Office, and we welcome the proposals around the restoration of the harbours under the Regional Coastal Plan. For Kaikōura to thrive again, access to the sea is essential. We will be working with Kaikōura District Council and Ngāti Kuri and others to make this happen,” Mr Bedford said.

“We want to see businesses and communities get up and running again as viable, sustainable entities and the proposed legislation changes will enable us to help them do that in a sensible and realistic timeframe.”

The Hurunui/Kaikōura Earthquake Recovery Bill 2016 will establish a process that enables plans and bylaws to be amended by Order in Council.

“This emergency legislation will allow the local communities to be empowered to take charge of their recovery and rebuild,” Mr Bedford said. “Environment Canterbury will exercise its additional powers responsibly to support recovery. The effects of the earthquakes will be felt for a while to come and any legislative support to make this process as streamlined as possible is very welcome.”

Since the event on November 14, more than 100 Environment Canterbury staff have been working in civil defence response in Kaikōura, Hurunui and in the Canterbury Civil Defence base in Christchurch. They have been joined by local government staff from throughout New Zealand to support the immediate emergency response.

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 04:33:00 +1200Important Information for Kaikoura and Hurunui residentshttp://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/Kaikoura-Hurunui-Wastewater-281116.aspx/news-and-notices/newsKaikoura-Hurunui-Wastewater-281116.aspxIt is often difficult to spot damage to a wastewater system following an earthquake as tanks and soakage lines are buried. However, an unusually bad odour, a low water level in the septic tank, a flooded septic tank, or water ponding at the surface near their soakage lines, could mean that your wastewater system has been affected by the earthquakes.

If your wastewater system has been damaged you will need to replace or fix it as soon as possible. A wastewater system designer/ installer can assist you in working out what kind of repairs or a replacement system and a list of wastewater system designers and installers is included overleaf.

If your replacement system meets certain conditions (included overleaf), you can replace your system without a resource consent, however it may require a building consent from the District or City Council.

Where consents are needed, many insurance companies require that you obtain the consent before they will pay out for the replacement system. You will need to check this with your insurance company.

The wastewater system designers and installers listed can assist you in identifying whether or not you will need a resource and/or building consent. They can also apply for that consent on your behalf.

If you need a consent you can also apply yourself, by filling in the consent application form here and submitting it to Environment Canterbury.

Remember before starting any work, you should also contact your local District or City Council for advice on building consent requirements.

Situations where resource consent is not required for a replacement domestic wastewater system

If your replacement domestic wastewater treatment system meets the following conditions, you do not require consent to discharge:1) The discharge volume does not exceed 2 m3 per day; and2) The discharge is onto or into a site that 4 hectares or more in area; and3) The discharge is not within an area where residential density exceeds 1.5 dwellings per hectare and the total population is greater than 1000 persons; and4) The discharge is not onto or into land:

a) where there is an available sewerage network; orb) that is contaminated or potentially contaminated; orc) that is listed as an archaeological site; ord) in circumstances where the discharge would enter any surface waterbody; ore) within 20 m of any surface waterbody or the Coastal Marine Area; orf) within 50 m of a bore used for water abstraction; org) within a Group or Community Drinking-water Protection Zone as set out in Schedule 1; orh) where there is, at any time, less than 1 m of vertical separation between the discharge point and groundwater; and

5) The treatment and disposal system is designed and installed in accordance with Sections 5 and 6 of New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1547:2012 – On-site Domestic Wastewater Management; and6) The treatment and disposal system is operated and maintained in accordance with the system’s design specification for maintenance or, if there is no design specification for maintenance, Section 6.3 of New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1547:2012 – On-site Domestic Wastewater Management; and7) The discharge does not result in wastewater being visible on the ground surface; and8) The discharge does not contain any hazardous substance.

The Community and Public Health division of the Canterbury District Health Board has lifted its algal bloom health warning issued for Te Wairewa / Lake Forsyth on 25 November 2016.

Recent water testing at Te Wairewa / Lake Forsyth has shown the quantity of potentially toxic blue-green algae (Anabaena and Nodularia) in the lake has decreased and concentrations are now below the levels of concern to public health.

Dr Alistair Humphrey, Canterbury Medical Officer of Health, says Environment Canterbury’s sampling of Te Wairewa / Lake Forsyth will continue on a fortnightly basis over the summer months and the public will be notified if there is a risk to public health again.

Facts about cyanobacteria:

The algae occur naturally but can increase rapidly during warmer months.

If the water is cloudy, discoloured, or has small globules suspended in it, avoid all contact.

Not all cyanobacterial blooms are visible to the naked eye and toxins can persist after the blooms disappear.

Cyanobacterial concentrations can change quickly with changing environmental conditions (e.g. wind). If a health warning is in place avoid contact with the water.

If a warning is in place, people and animals should not drink the water from the lake at any time, even boiled water.

Exposure to an algal bloom can cause skin rashes, nausea, stomach cramps, tingling and numbness around the mouth and fingertips. If you experience any of these symptoms visit your doctor immediately and please let your doctor know if you have had contact with lake water when there is a health warning in place.

For further information visit Environment Canterbury’s website.Or contact Community and Public Health on (03) 364 1777.

]]>Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:10:00 +1200Gearing up for wilding control pushhttp://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/Gearing-up-211116.aspx/news-and-notices/newsGearing-up-211116.aspxEnvironment Canterbury today announced the way new funding for wilding conifer control would be allocated and administered in the region.

Since the Government announced in June that $16 million would be allocated to a national four-year programme, a Wilding Governance Group has been formed to provide oversight of an expanded control programme for this significant pest plant.

The Group has allocated just over $5 million nationally to the programme for 2016/17, of which nearly $3 million goes to Canterbury.

Environment Canterbury Chief Executive Bill Bayfield said this allocation level illustrates the extent of the problem in the region. “There is much to be done to protect farmland, water yield and iconic landscapes from this invasive pest,” he said. “With another dry summer in prospect, reduced water yield caused by wildings becomes an issue, as does increased risk of fire.”

Graham Sullivan, Environment Canterbury Regional Leader Biosecurity who sits on an operational advisors’ group to the Governance Group, said prioritisation of infestations would guide control work in the first four years.

“Like other councils in affected regions, Environment Canterbury acts as co-ordinator on behalf of the Government,” Mr Sullivan said. “Over the next year we will implement six control programmes, with total combined funding of just under $4 million covering nearly 900,000 hectares, as well as participating in a large Waitaki programme with Otago.”

The areas to be covered are all inland and extend from Craigieburn in North Canterbury to Godley and Four Peaks in the south. In order of total funding allocated (size of management area in brackets) the six priority areas are:

Craigieburn, North Canterbury - $2m (53,750)

Lewis, also North Canterbury around Hanmer, $581,000 (295,900)

Hakatere, Mid Canterbury, $383,000 (180,260)

Godley, Mackenzie Basin, $379,000 (137,260)

Porters, North Canterbury, $366,000 (189,740)

Four Peaks, South Canterbury, $148,000 (40,140)

Graham Sullivan said this co-ordinated national approach was an encouraging start towards containing the spread of Canterbury’s worst pest plant.

“Last year $1.2 million was spent on wilding control in Canterbury and just under $12 million nationally,” he said. “However, this was insufficient to deal with the scale of the issue. Wildings are spreading at about 90,000 hectares a year, equivalent to nine average-sized high country farms.

“The current initiative is the first phase of a programme that will hopefully lead to a sustainable long-term management plan,” Mr Sullivan said. “First we are looking for increased prevention and control; reducing the area currently invaded; co-ordinated, more cost effective control and prevention; information gathering, and early control action and support.

“Early action to prevent seeding is crucial if we are to get on top of the problem,” Graham Sullivan said. “Landowners, community groups and government agencies all have an important part to play if we are to be successful - both now and in future”.Wilding conifers:

Left uncontrolled, are predicted to spread across 20% of New Zealand (the equivalent of Canterbury and Marlborough combined) within 20 years, costing the economy more than $1.2 billion

Cover nearly 6 % (1.8 million hectares) of the country’s total land area

Cause the loss of native ecosystems and species extinctions and threaten large, open mountain landscapes that define the South Island high country

We monitor 52 popular swimming sites in Canterbury and the recently published data for 2015/16 shows an improvement in water quality at 12 sites. 39 have remained the same. One has shown a decline in water quality.

Sites are monitored weekly from November to March.

Why we monitor:

We monitor for bacteria that can make you sick. We also monitor for cyanobacteria, which may be toxic to you and potentially fatally toxic to pets.

“The improvement demonstrates the hard work of landowners to exclude stock and protect streams and rivers by planting andfencing. We recognise that Canterbury still has some way to go but these are good, positive steps” said Dr Tim Davie, Surface WaterScience Manager for Environment Canterbury.

Monitored sites by season

Monitored rivers and lakes by location

Research shows the water quality in monitored swimming sites in Canterbury has improved

Research shows that, of 52 monitored fresh water swimming sites, 12 have improved a grade, one hasdeclined (but is still swimmable) and all the other sites have stayed the same.

Sites sampled are popular freshwater swimming locations throughout Canterbury.

“The improvement demonstrates the hard work of landowners to exclude stock and protect streams andrivers by planting and fencing. We recognise that Canterbury still has some way to go but these are goodpositive steps” said Dr Tim Davie, Surface Water Science Manager for Environment Canterbury.

“From November to March, 52 freshwater sites are monitored weekly (18 lakes, 34 rivers). The resultsillustrate water quality in Canterbury has been stable or improving over the past 10 years – not declining”.

The monitoring programme follows the national guidance provided by the Ministry for the Environment andMinistry of Health. Sites graded ‘very good’, ‘good’ and ‘fair’ are considered suitable for contact recreation. Sites graded ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ are unsuitable for contact recreation.

“The most notable improvements are in North Canterbury near the Hurunui SH1 and SH7 sites. Both thesesites have improved from ‘poor’ to ‘fair’ grade”.

These results are from the 2015-16 season. The latest weekly monitoring results can be found on www.ecan.govt.nz, www.lawa.org.nz and both organisations’ Facebook pages.

In a bid to help home gardeners cope with another dry summer, the SMART Watering campaign re-launched today on the eve of Labour Weekend – New Zealand’s traditional start to summer gardening.

Five Canterbury districts have joined forces with IrrigationNZ, Canterbury’s regional council and two industry partners to help the region’s home gardeners make the best use of irrigation water this summer.Environment Canterbury welcomes all efforts to preserve water and use it efficiently.

Nadeine Dommisee, Environment Canterbury Senior Manager Operational Support, said that in the rural context this is an important part of good management practice. “The equivalent for city dwellers and lifestyle block holders is SMART Watering. It informs gardeners how to apply water efficiently.”

Home gardeners, lifestyle irrigators, small businesses, sports grounds and schools are the target of the public awareness and education campaign which was piloted last summer in Timaru, Ashburton, Selwyn and Waimakariri Districts.This year Mackenzie District has joined the brand, whose partners also include Environment Canterbury and industry suppliers Water Supply Products and RX Plastics.

The SMART Watering campaign teaches urban gardeners how to apply water efficiently. Its wider roll-out follows on from the successful SMART Irrigation programme which guides irrigating farmers to ensure targeted and efficient water use.

This year’s campaign will focus on educating people about ‘drip irrigation’ – the most efficient way to apply water, the benefits of timers or controllers for home garden irrigation systems, and how to store and use rainwater within the garden.

Case studies have been produced in the five districts taking part showcasing a range of people and groups using water efficiently. These include an organic gardening set-up in Mid Canterbury, Lincoln University’s irrigation modernisation project, a family of four who grow all their own food near Kaiapoi, a park re-grassing project in Twizel and the South Canterbury Rugby Football Union’s collaboration with Timaru District Council, which has led to reduced irrigation on its sports fields.

“The campaign’s return shows the appetite that exists for SMART Watering information. Home gardeners can learn a lot from irrigating farmers. Knowing how much water plants and crops require, installing efficient systems for water application and the monitoring of soil moisture are practices everyone should employ.

Our focus this season will be on introducing more people to drip irrigation, timers and controllers for home irrigation systems and the benefits of water storage,” says IrrigationNZ CEO Andrew Curtis.

As well as case studies illustrating these approaches, topic-specific SMART Watering factsheets are available on the Facebook page WateringSMART and website www.smartirrigation.co.nz/smartwatering. Simple things like choosing early mornings or evenings to water your plants, setting a timer on the veggie patch sprinkler, investigating rain tanks on the roof, or selecting less water-hungry plants are recommended.

SMART Irrigation and SMART Watering practice rely on the same principles – checking that your system can apply water efficiently, that your use of water is justified and that you are monitoring and measuring as you go.

SMART Watering isn’t difficult and will save you time and money in the long term.

SMART Watering is sustainable watering – be part of the solution to conserve supply.

“The momentum that’s now being generated around SMART Watering is exciting.

As well as Mackenzie District joining the Canterbury programme, we’re putting together a pilot campaign for the Bay of Plenty this summer. We’ve also had interest from the greater Wellington, Auckland and Central Otago regions. SMART Watering is an approach that has relevance for all New Zealanders,” says Mr Curtis.

]]>Wed, 02 Nov 2016 12:55:00 +1200Drought Update September 2016http://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/Drought-Update-0916.aspx/news-and-notices/newsDrought-Update-0916.aspxGenerally the soil is wetter than the same time last year; consequently there is plenty of green grass to see and the drought situation looks not too bad. However, on the whole, Canterbury river flows and groundwater levels remain lower than average for the end of winter across Canterbury and there has been very little winter and spring groundwater recharge in North Canterbury (north of the Rakaia).

The month of September 2016 has seen the alpine area receive average rainfall totals. Rainfall totals in the coastal South Canterbury area are much closer to normal. Total rainfall for some sites in North Canterbury, received less rainfall than is typical; notably the Stanton site has received only 58% of the long term average to the end of September, on top of only 48% for the year 2015.

Similarly, rainfall in the Selwyn district has been well below average for the months June - September. The Ridgens rain gauge only recorded 42 % of the long term June-September total. This will have further implications for already low groundwater levels/spring-fed streams flows.

This makes three successive winters with very low recharge of groundwater. Likely consequences of this are:

More springs and spring-fed streams drying up, particularly in the Christchurch and Selwyn areas;

Surface water irrigation, particularly in the lower Canterbury Plains very limited this season;

Groundwater consents tied to adaptive management conditions in the Selwyn-Waimakariri, Rakaia-Selwyn and Valetta-Ashburton River groundwater allocation zones (i.e. the consent holder can’t abstract when groundwater levels are low) will have very poor reliability next summer. The majority of wells in these areas recorded lower than average groundwater levels in August 2016.

Some groundwater abstractors will have difficulties with wells either drying up or supplying low volumes.

It is highly unlikely groundwater levels will recover in time for summer flows in spring-fed streams to stay high. Any significant rain from now until the end of summer is likely to keep the soil wet but not lead to groundwater recharge.

Numerous rivers and streams spent the month on full or partial restriction.

September 2016

Soil moisture

NIWA plots of soil moisture deficit (Figure 1) show that there are patches of Canterbury soils that are still drier than normal for the end of winter, although most areas appear to be ‘better off’ than this time last year.

Rainfall

Table 1 shows data from representative rain gauges across Canterbury. After many record low rainfall totals across the region in 2015, some sites (particularly rain gauges in North Canterbury) are still recording well below average totals for 2016 to date. The Alpine rain gauges, located at Arthurs Pass and Mt Cook, received close to average amounts for September. Plots for representative sites across the region are shown below.

Foothills and plains north of the Rakaia River

If we look a bit closer into northern Canterbury (Figure 3) for the month of September, cumulative rainfall totals for the year to date are still well short of average cumulative totals. The Lowry Hills rain gauge has only received 59% of the average cumulative total. While many sites appear better off than to the same time last year, Ridgens Road and 13 Mile Bush have lower totals compared with the end of September 2015. Generally rainfall on the plains, for the months June - September (inclusive) have been well less than the long term means. The Ridgens rain gauge only recorded 42 % of the long term June-September total. This will impact upon already low groundwater levels and consequent flows in spring-fed streams. Appendix 1 includes maps showing the location of all the rain gauges and water level recorders represented in this summary.

Foothills and plains south of the Rakaia River

Cumulative rainfall measured at eight representative rain gauges south of the Rakaia River (Figure 4) show that for the year to date most of these sites’ rainfall totals are less than their long term cumulative averages but mostly higher than 2015 to the end of September. Sunny Peaks and the Morven site are the exceptions, and are tracking at or about the long-term average.

Alpine rainfall

The Canterbury Alpine area is represented here by two rain gauges, Arthurs Pass and Mt Cook (village) (Figure 5). Totals for the year to date are now tracking at just above average totals for the two sites to the end of September.

Groundwater levels

Compared to September records from previous years, 68% of the wells we monitor had ‘low’ groundwater levels (0 to 1 standard deviation below the mean) and 16% had ‘very low’ levels (more than 1 standard deviation below the mean). ‘Low’ and ‘very low’ groundwater levels are indicated by the orange and red dots, respectively, in Figure 6.

‘Low’ levels were recorded across the region, but ‘very low’ water levels were particularly notable in the coastal Selwyn-Waihora area (in particular the spring-fed tributaries of Te Waihora / Lake Ellesmere), the Ashburton plains, the West Melton area and the Waipara area. This pattern remains similar to what we’ve been seeing for the past several months.

Figure 7 illustrates the historical groundwater levels in three wells (K37/0215, M35/3614, and M34/0765) where the levels were ‘very low’ in September 2016. The locations of these wells are labelled on Figure 6. Although groundwater levels are low when compared to previous September levels, a little more than half of wells we monitor recorded slightly higher water levels in September than in August.

Figure 6: September 2016 groundwater levels. Wells selected for historical groundwater level time series plots (Figure 7) are identified by well number and depth.

Figure 7: Historical groundwater levels in three wells (K37/0215, M35/5560, and M34/0765) where the levels were ‘very low’ in September 2016.

River flows

Foothills and plains rivers north of the Rakaia River

Figure 8 shows data from selected streams in the northern foothills and plains where flows have been well below average and below September 2015 flows. Flows remain exceptionally low in spring-fed rivers such as the lower Selwyn. The Selwyn at Coes Ford has recorded a record low September monthly mean flow of 0.410 m3s, following record lows in July and August also.

Figure 8: Mean monthly flows for streams in the North Canterbury foothills and central plains compared to 2015/16 – see Appendix 1 for location maps.

Alpine river flows, Rakaia and north

After a wet July, dry August and then an average September in the mountains, flows measured in alpine rivers were at or just below average for the month of September (Figure 9), and higher than this time last year.

Flows in rivers in the foothills and on the plains south of the Rakaia (Figure 10) were still mostly lower than the long-term average and less than August mean monthly flows, with the Pareora River being an exception to this rule, due to some relatively localised heavy rain later in the month.

Figure 10: Mean monthly flows for streams in the South Canterbury foothills compared to 2015/16 - see Appendix 1 for location maps.

Alpine river flows, south of the Rakaia River

A different trend is seen in the alpine rivers south of the Rakaia when compared with those to the north (Figure 11), with very little change in monthly mean flows seen between August and September, with the exception being the Rangitata which has recovered to 86% of its long term average.

Figure 11: Mean monthly flows for streams in the South Canterbury Alpine areas compared to 2015/16 – see Appendix 1 for location map

Irrigation Restrictions

With many rivers flowing at relatively low flows, there a number of rivers with some form of restriction across the region for the month of September. The Waiau, the lower Hurunui, and the Waitaki rivers were the only Alpine Rivers to escape from any form of restriction. The rest had some form of restriction at some stage during the month. Numerous foothill rivers and many spring-fed streams started the irrigation season with some form of restriction. Some spent the whole month in full restriction, for example Middle Creek (Kaikoura), Parakanoi Drain (Hinds), and the lower Selwyn at Coes Ford.

Abstraction of groundwater for irrigation in the West Melton Special Zone is restricted based on the groundwater level in five monitoring bores (M35/1000, M35/1110, M35/1691, M35/5696 and M36/0217), one for each of five sub-zones. Water permits require abstractions to be restricted by specified percentages when water levels decline below the associated “trigger levels” in the monitoring bores. In September 2016, groundwater levels in all five bores were below their respective trigger levels, so groundwater takes tied to those five bores were on restriction.

Groundwater abstraction for some irrigation consents in the Selwyn-Waimakariri, Rakaia-Selwyn and Valetta-Ashburton River groundwater allocation zones is controlled by adaptive management programmes. The programmes set the maximum volume of water available each year based on groundwater levels at the start of the irrigation season. As the 2016/2017 irrigation season begins, the majority of the groundwater levels in our monitoring wells in all three groundwater allocation zones continue to be tracking below the monthly mean for September. In fact, groundwater levels in almost all of our monitoring wells in these zones are lower than they were in September 2015, so it is likely that these adaptive management consents will be under greater restrictions than last year. Approximately 30% adaptive management assessments have been completed to date. In the Selwyn-Waimakariri and Rakaia-Selwyn groundwater allocation zones, full or partial adaptive management allocations have been recommended for most of the consents. However, for Valetta-Ashburton River groundwater allocation zone, most of the assessments have recommended full restriction to adaptive allocation.

]]>Wed, 26 Oct 2016 04:08:00 +1200Environment Canterbury welcomes Otago wallaby control fundinghttp://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/ec-otago-wallaby-control-funding.aspx/news-and-notices/newsec-otago-wallaby-control-funding.aspxEnvironment Canterbury today welcomed the recent announcement by the Otago Regional Council that it had allocated $273,000 for a programme targeting reduction of Bennett’s wallaby numbers in the region.

Environment Canterbury Chief Executive Bill Bayfield said this funding would enable the stepping up of collaborative effort to co-ordinate surveillance and control programmes for this highly mobile pest on the boundary of the two regions. “Wallaby don’t respect borders,” Mr Bayfield said. “The integrated programme we already have in place will be enhanced by this funding so we can ramp up our efforts. The wallaby aren’t resting on their haunches and neither can we – ongoing effort will be needed to contain their spread.”

Graham Sullivan, Environment Canterbury Regional Leader Biodiversity, said the two regional councils were already collaborating on wallaby surveillance, control and data sharing.

“Our field staff are working together and training together,” Mr Sullivan said. “This and the extra funding will help us meet the strong community expectation that wallaby spread will be contained.

“We are also looking at the potential for different approaches to containment through the current review of the Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan and a national programme also involving Bay of Plenty Regional Council. We welcome new ideas via consultation processes and other channels.”

Wallaby are an “unwanted organism” under the Biosecurity Act and are identified as pest animals in the Pest Management Plans of both Canterbury and Otago. It is illegal for people to keep, capture or release wallabies elsewhere. Wallaby compete with stock for pasture and can damage crops and trees. They can easily adapt to changing habitat and can thrive in many environments from forests to open country.

The Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River has again been in the news – identified as the most polluted river in Christchurch and probably Canterbury. This should come as no surprise.

The Ōpāwaho provided a wealth of resources for Tuahuriri whānau and others to thrive in an at times harsh landscape. Within two generations the Ōpāwaho was turned into a smelly, disease-carrying drain and its ability to sustain whānau was stymied. A visitor in March 1922 wrote of “the disgusting state of the lower Heathcote; owing to the discharges from tanneries and wool-scouring works”.

Fast forward to today and we are still concerned about the state of the river. But it is in a better condition than it has been. There are no longer direct discharges of industrial waste into the river.

The earthquakes, however, have set us back as broken waste water pipes discharged raw sewage directly into the river. Most of the Council-owned pipes are fixed, and companies such as Ravensdown have taken the opportunity to improve their stormwater systems as part of the repair work. We are back to pre-earthquake water quality levels - not a bad effort over six years.

But my goal is to get the river to a state of health that is not only swimmable but also provides an abundance of mahinga kai and other resources that can be harvested safely and sustainably.

Achieving this goal will take a generation and will require us all to tackle the hard stuff – the diffuse sources of pollution. We have done the easy stuff; the point sources, the industrial and waste water discharges. We now need to tackle the zinc coming off every metal roof that is not regularly sealed with fresh paint, copper from vehicles with metallic brake pads, bacteria from ducks and dogs, and sediment and rubbish coming from – just about everywhere.

Reducing the amount of these contaminants getting into the river is the urban equivalent of reducing nutrients coming off farm paddocks.

Christchurch City Council is taking a step in the right direction by installing a stormwater treatment facility at Bells Creek. But at $1.5 million plus ongoing maintenance costs, this is not an option that can be replicated throughout the catchment. We need to move “up the pipe” and stop these contaminants getting into the system in the first place.

In the case of zinc, it will require each and every one of us with a zinc roof to regularly paint it to seal the zinc in. Will owners do this with education and encouragement? Do we need a change to the Building Act to stop new buildings being built with zinc roofs? How could any regulation be enforced? Is there another way? Could individuals, groups and industry lead the change?

Another big issue for the community is the amount of rubbish and junk that ends up in the Ōpāwaho. The river is not the place for supermarket trollies, road cones, car tyres, whiteware, plastic bags and other miscellaneous items.

In May, 1300 community volunteers hauled out over 20 tonnes of rubbish from the city’s waterways as part of the Mother of All Clean Ups. Unfortunately there is probably 20 tonnes more now drifting up and down the river with the tides waiting for the next big clean up.

Despite the abuse the river has received over the generations, I am inspired by its resilience and by the enormous efforts of the people who live, work and play along its banks.

The enthusiasm of businesses such as Ravensdown, community groups including the Heathcote/Ōpāwaho Network and Cashmere Stream Care Group, and the schools that have been involved in the Waka Inaka Project, gives me confidence we are ready to tackle the hard stuff with the support of councils. This is our awa, our river.

The Ōpāwaho has the potential to host one of the longest inaka (whitebait) spawning reaches in New Zealand. That is something to get really excited about. Turning the potential into reality, however, means managing the river banks differently – leaving the banks unmown from March to June so the inaka eggs can develop and hatch without fear of being weed wacked. The river may look a bit untidy for a month or two, but that’s a small price to pay for the bragging rights of the longest inaka spawning site in New Zealand.

It is time we took ownership of our river, as did the generation before us for generations to follow.

Te Waihora is the largest lake in Canterbury and has no natural outlet to the sea. It was opened by generations of Ngāi Tahu living at Taumutu before pakeha arrival. The first settler written record of an artificial opening to the sea was in 1852 and it has been opened over 300 times since.

There is a large range of cultural and environmental reasons for opening the lake. In this instance it was primarily to allow inward spring fish migration.

Leigh Griffiths, Environment Canterbury Manager River Engineering, said the earthworks to open the lake started on 23 September and the lake was successfully opened five days later.

“Generally it takes anywhere from three days to a week to open, but if the sea conditions have been rough it has taken up to six weeks in the past,” she said. “Getting the weather window right for the physical works and the forward forecast is critical for maintaining the opening.”

For an opening to be successful, the lake needs to have reached minimum levels required in the Water Conservation Order, the sea needs to be relatively calm and machinery needs to be mobilised and able to gain safe access to the site, which can be restricted by heavy seas.

“During this opening the sea was relatively calm; you can imagine the risks when the waves are a little bigger,” Leigh said. “It’s dangerous work and we are fortunate that our staff and contractors are so experienced.

“Our site supervisor, Mike Hyett, has opened it over 100 times so he knows the conditions and how to get the job done safely. During large seas the waves crash over the top of the beach crest and into the lake - unless you’ve seen it, it’s hard to appreciate.

“You can’t open it in those conditions as the cut gets filled back in by gravel movement anyway and safety always comes first.”

In the first stage of the opening, machinery needs to be able to work safely within and adjacent to the lake; in the final stage machinery needs to able to work safely in the surf zone. Once the cut is opened, it needs time to develop and remain open which relies on relatively calm sea conditions.

“On this occasion a large volume of shingle washed into the lake so the cut to open was 290 metres long,” Leigh Griffiths said. “On average about 30,000 cubic metres of material has to be shifted so it’s no small job.”

Once the lake is opened, there is very limited ability to control how long it stays that way. The length is determined by weather and sea conditions and how quickly gravel is deposited by the sea to close the cut.

“Artificial closure may be desirable closer to summer if lake levels get very low and calm sea conditions mean there is no natural closure of the cut,” Leigh Griffiths said. “Artificial closure has not been attempted to date.”

Background

The opening of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere is governed by a National Water Conservation Order and a suite of resource consents held jointly by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Environment Canterbury who make the final decision to open after consultation with key stakeholders.

The stakeholders make up a group that operates under the lake opening “protocol”, which is a guide for collaborative and transparent decision making. Under the protocol, every group has an opportunity to make their view known. These views are all taken into account before a final opening decision is made by the joint consent holders.

Experts are engaged as required to provide technical advice and forecast weather and sea conditions are also considered. When and at what level the lake is opened to the sea requires consideration of a number of matters including wildlife, wetland vegetation, fish habitat, mahinga kai, customary fisheries, water quality, summer levels, land inundation, waterway networks and infrastructure, and fish migration for a variety of species in autumn and spring.

Opening the lake in April 2014 allowed tuna/eel and other fish species to migrate to the sea

“Most accidents occur suddenly and with no warning. When something happens, it is too late to try to find and put on a lifejacket,” Mr Manch said. “Our short video shows why wearing a lifejacket rather than carrying it when you’re on the water gives you a better chance of surviving.”

Environment Canterbury’s new Navigation safety bylaw – which came into force on October 10 – makes it mandatory to wear lifejackets on all vessels that are six metres in length or less. This now includes paddle craft and non-powered vessels such as kayaks and paddleboards.

More about Safer Boating Week:

Prep, Check, Know Safer Boating Week is the week before Labour Day weekend, the traditional start of recreational boating in much of the country. The aim is to encourage boaties to take simple steps before getting back on the water: Prep your boat, Check your Gear, Know the rules.

Prep – service the engine, check and change the fuel, check the battery and just generally give the boat a good onceover.

Check – make sure your lifejackets are still fit for purpose and you have enough. Service any inflatable lifejackets and ensure you have two reliable forms of communication equipment.

Know – ensure you know the “rules of the road” on the water, and check your local bylaws to make sure you understand what the requirements are in your area.

“If you are on the water when you discover a problem with your boat or equipment, or that you do not know an important safety rule, then it is too late and people are in danger,” Mr Sturt said.

Lots of activities A week of boating events, and news media and social media activity has been planned by councils and boating organisations all around the country. Including:

For the first time the TV3 fishing show, Big Angry Fish, come on board as Safer Boating Week partners and feature on many new resources.

Local events include a colouring competition with the winning child becoming harbourmaster for the day, lifejacket checks, a boat race, fishing competitions, courses and training, boat ramp visits, and on the water checks. Plus, much more!

* Safer Boating Forum The Forum was established in 2000 to coordinate and implement recreational boating safety initiatives. It is made up of government agencies and local government, water safety and recreational boating organisations, and the marine industry. The Forum’s work is aimed at reducing boating injuries and fatalities and improving boat safety behaviour. Maritime NZ chairs the Forum and members include Coastguard, Jet Boating NZ, Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers, local and central government, NZ Fishing News, NZ Jet Sports Boating Association, NZ Marine Industry Association, NZ Underwater Association, Surf Lifesaving NZ, Waka Ama NZ, Water Safety NZ, WaterSafe Auckland, White Water NZ, and Yachting NZ.

]]>Fri, 14 Oct 2016 02:21:00 +1200Water Shortage Direction for Opihi River and tributarieshttp://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/news/pages/water-shortage-01102016.aspx/news-and-notices/newswater-shortage-01102016.aspxA Water Shortage Direction for the Opihi River and its tributaries – which includes the Opuha River and Lake Opuha – is in effect from Saturday 1 October for 14 days.

The Direction requires Opuha Water Limited to maintain a minimum flow of 7 cubic metres per second in the Opihi River (at the Saleyards) when the lake is above 375 metres.

The lake level is currently around 392 metres. The Opuha Environmental Flow Release Advisory Group, comprising representatives from district councils, farmers, Opuha Water Limited, river users and tangata whenua, agreed to the release level of 7 cubic metres for a 14-day period to enable minimum water release from the Opuha Dam in order to build up water storage.

There are no irrigation restrictions in this Direction.

Environment Canterbury has authority under Section 329 of the Resource Management Act 1991 to notify the Water Shortage Direction.

The main pressures on the Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River are sediment from the Port Hills and contaminants washed off road surfaces, roofs, driveways and riverbanks. This can include faecal matter (from dogs, birds etc) and heavy metals such as copper and zinc from brake linings and roofs.

A summary of the 2015 report was recently presented to the Christchurch West Melton Zone Committee. Haytons Stream which flows into the Heathcote is a Zone Committee priority catchment because of its potential impact on the river. Haytons and Curtletts Road streams are important waterways fed by springs and stormwater. Their catchment is largely industrialised. They have high percentages of impervious surfaces in the form of roads, roofing and paving.

Many roads have high intensity use and a large proportion of industry roofing is made from zinc galvanised materials. Roads and zinc roofs are major sources of sediment and heavy metals such as zinc and copper. These streams often convey high levels of pollutants during rain events as stormwater flushes hard surfaces clean of their sediment and heavy metals.

The condition of Haytons and Curtletts Road streams can be characterised as “urban stream syndrome”. “Symptoms of the urban stream syndrome include a flashier hydrograph, elevated concentrations of nutrients and contaminants, altered channel morphology, and reduced biotic richness, with increased dominance of tolerant species.” (Walsh et al, 2005). Most cities in the world with streams emerging from urban/industrial catchments suffer from similar, often significantly worse, water quality issues.

A challenge for any urban environment is how to retrofit stormwater treatment. In Christchurch new developments include extensive stormwater retention ponds and swales (eg Wigram Skies) that help hold back and treat contaminants before they reach waterways. The challenge is how to put those types of infrastructure into an already urbanised area.

At the same time there is a need for public awareness that stormwater does reach a river and can affect it. So washing cars, paint brush cleaning on tarmacked areas, not picking up dog faeces, using copper and zinc roofing and the use of metallic brake pads can be all detrimental to urban streams.

What is being done?

A stormwater management plan is currently being developed by Christchurch City Council for the Heathcote catchment. Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council, the community and industry are working together to develop and implement solutions.

Sediment is a major problem in the Heathcote catchment. The Zone Committee and Cashmere Stream Care group recently hosted a workshop with industry to share the findings of trials to manage sediment from construction sites using new products and techniques. A key message from the workshop was for site managers to plan for the whole period soil is exposed, use various methods and products, and plan for wet weather before it arrives. Erosion and Sediment Control Guidelines are currently being updated and will include guidance on the use of new products and techniques and lessons learnt.

The Zone Committee and Cashmere Stream Care group have also been working with landowners to rehabilitate the upper reaches of Cashmere Stream through Immediate Steps biodiversity funding. They have re-contoured the banks to recreate meanders pools and riffles, and planted along the riparian margins with native eco-sourced plants. Christchurch City Council funded a large proportion of this work and carried out the works. The Council also has significant stormwater projects in the upper Heathcote catchment planned, which will involve further realignment and enhancement of tributaries.

More to do

While much is being done to improve the health of our urban waterways, there is more to do. Your Zone Committee, Environment Canterbury Zone team and a range of other agencies including Christchurch City Council are deeply involved, and as a member of the community you can help too.

Tā Mark Solomon, Kaiwhakahaere, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, said the move by the Government would help protect the vulnerable longfin tuna, an important mahinga kai species in the lake.

“We have a responsibility to protect the lake, its ecosystem, and taonga species like longfin tuna.This decision will support preservation efforts that are currently underway at Te Waihora,” Tā Mark said.

Since 2006 there has been a voluntary code of conduct for all longfin eel caught in Te Waihora to be returned to the lake. Dame Margaret Bazley, Environment Canterbury Chair of Commissioners, said she expected the code commitment to continue.

“We applaud the decisions by the Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Nathan Guy,” Dame Margaret said. “Together with the voluntary commitments that are already in place, the separate management regime and catch limits reflecting the vulnerability of longfin should support increased abundance in future.”

Co-governance of Te Waihora is a long-term commitment to the restoration and rejuvenation of the mauri and ecosystem health of Te Waihora / Lake Ellesmere involving Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Environment Canterbury, Selwyn District Council and Christchurch City Council.